The present invention relates to an improved display of articles for sale to customers in self-service stores. More specifically, it relates to a novel package for use in a carded-merchandise display where the cards are hung on hooks extending out from a supporting surface such as a peg board. There is a great convenience to shoppers in self service retail stores where the merchandise and the information relating to the merchandise, such as the description of the product and how it is to be used are readily visible to the purchaser. Many packages have been provided which contain the articles to be offered for sale and also have imprinted on the packages some information helpful to the purchaser. Through the use of such displays, information needed by the purchaser is readily available even before the sale so that the customer can determine whether the product is the particular one that he desires to purchase. By making this information available to the customer on a display, it then becomes unnecessary, in most instances, for the clerk of the store to answer the many questions that the prospective purchaser might have with respect to the proper product and how it is to be used. For instance, there are many types of adhesives and cements produced for various jobs. The right cement for the right job can be selected by the customer with a minimum of questions directed to a clerk of the store. Such a display also makes the information more available to the store owner and clerks so that they can be more effective in merchandising the product and in making sure that the purchaser gets the right product for its intended use. Obviously then, the clerks and store owner are free to carry out other duties such as restocking the display and the various other daily chores which would be very difficult to carry out where it was necessary to answer questions all day of prospective purchasers. The diversity of merchandise in many stores is such that a retail clerk cannot be well informed about all of them and the carded information is often more reliable than that available from the store employees.
The storage of a larger number of articles on a display board is advantageous both to the store owner and to the consumer. Where the article to be displayed is quite thick and bulky, there is a limit to the number of the carded articles which can be mounted on the display area. Where a hook 6-8 inches in length is used and the product is about 1 inches thick, it is possible to straight stack only about 8 cards on each hook.
In order to display more merchandise in a given display area, it is advantageous to overlap and/or stack the merchandise on the display board. Straight stacking has the disadvantage that the amount of product that can be displayed is the function of the thickness or depth of the product. Overlapping in the past has been accomplished vertically. This usually entails placing a second hole in each card in an ppropriate position along the verticle center line of the card or by stacking two cards of different length on the same peg. In the first method each card must be placed on two pegs which makes it more difficult to place the card on and to remove the card from the pegs. The second hole must be placed in a prime graphics area which is disadvantageous. The use of cards of two sizes has the obvious disadvantage of requiring inventory of two different cards. Horizontal overlap of cards has required the use of two pegs and two holes in each card in the past. Although two horizontal holes and two pegs seems an improvement over two vertically disposed holes there is still a remaining problem with respect to removal of the cards from the display board.